Does boiling broccoli eliminate its anti-estrogen effects?

I read in a few places some that broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage help lower levels of estrogen and boost available testosterone. Being a lazy man outside of the gym, I usually eat my veggies by making a giant soup. I was never worried about vitamins "leaking" into the broth, since I drink it anyway, but my biochemist roommate suggested that boiling the vegetables may degrade whatever it is that gives them their purported anabolic effects. Does anyone know if this is the case?

Also, I usually buy frozen, not fresh broccoli. If soup isn't a viable option, could someone recommend the best way to eat it in order to keep the degradation to a minimum?

Thanks!

You only get to say that he's like that because of genetics if you work as hard as him. And if you do, shut up and work harder.

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"The form of displacement that is most supportive of political and social stability is very likely the tendency to blame the self: to experience guilt as an individual and as a member of a class for failures that can also be attributed to economic and social institutions"

there is a such thing as "over cooking" i steam my broccoli but i do not let it get to discolored and soft. the less you cook it the more nutrients/vitamins its going to have. the exception to this rule howver is tomatoes. the more you cook them the more nutrient dense they become.. so basically dont let ur broccoli turn into total mush and ull b fine.. hope this helps..
Z

there is a such thing as "over cooking" i steam my broccoli but i do not let it get to discolored and soft. the less you cook it the more nutrients/vitamins its going to have. the exception to this rule howver is tomatoes. the more you cook them the more nutrient dense they become.. so basically dont let ur broccoli turn into total mush and ull b fine.. hope this helps..
Z

Fantastic. The ONE veggie I prefer raw... heh.

You only get to say that he's like that because of genetics if you work as hard as him. And if you do, shut up and work harder.

----------
"The form of displacement that is most supportive of political and social stability is very likely the tendency to blame the self: to experience guilt as an individual and as a member of a class for failures that can also be attributed to economic and social institutions"

I read in a few places some that broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage help lower levels of estrogen and boost available testosterone. Being a lazy man outside of the gym, I usually eat my veggies by making a giant soup. I was never worried about vitamins "leaking" into the broth, since I drink it anyway, but my biochemist roommate suggested that boiling the vegetables may degrade whatever it is that gives them their purported anabolic effects. Does anyone know if this is the case?

Also, I usually buy frozen, not fresh broccoli. If soup isn't a viable option, could someone recommend the best way to eat it in order to keep the degradation to a minimum?

Thanks!

It can possibly make them more bioavailable...

http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info...ochemicals.htm
"Are the phytochemicals destroyed by cooking? Most of the compounds are heat stable and are not significantly lost in the cooking water. While vitamin C is partially lost by cooking, the availability of carotenoids and the level of indoles in broccoli may actually be increased during cooking."

DIM (found in broccoli, according to the site. -NQ)) helps to eliminate active estrogen from the male body by promoting its conversion into the "good" metabolites. These metabolites then free up testosterone by bumping it off the testosterone-binding proteins. The end result is a healthier balance of testosterone to estrogen and more free testosterone circulating in the body. In scientific studies, high levels of testosterone and low levels of estrogen have been linked to lean body mass, an efficient fat-burning metabolism, and low abdominal obesity. Other benefits from testosterone are improved mood, more interest in sex, and better physical conditioning. In this chapter, we'll explore these issues in more detail.

The idea seems to be that broccoli has estrogen-like compounds that bind to estrogen receptors, yes, but that in doing so they prevent more potent forms of estrogen from binding to these same receptors. To use a weird analogy, I understand it as choosing to hold something uncomfortably hot in your hand in order to have your hands full when someone says "Okay, I really need someone to hold this scalding disease-ridden object. Whose hands are free?"

I'm fine with being proven wrong here, but that's the logic.

You only get to say that he's like that because of genetics if you work as hard as him. And if you do, shut up and work harder.

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"The form of displacement that is most supportive of political and social stability is very likely the tendency to blame the self: to experience guilt as an individual and as a member of a class for failures that can also be attributed to economic and social institutions"

Goitrogens

In addition to Phytoestrogens broccoli, a cruciferous vegetables of the brassica family, among other great anabolic and macronutrient rich (builder) foods, are highly goitrogenic. Goitrogens are foods that *suppress thyroid function* by interfering with iodine uptake. Goitrogens are substances that can also cause goiters, i.e., an enlargement of the thyroid gland.

In healthy people with optimal thyroid function these foods are perfectly safe to consume; for anyone with an under functioning or low level thyroid panel, it is best to avoid consuming *any amounts* of *raw* goitrogen rich foods as they will just further *inhibit metabolic responses* via thyroid regulation.

Alternatively, if you want to remain practical about benefiting from eating these foods for their excellent macros and are less concerned about thyroid suppression, then they can still be consumed. If suppression is a concern, than eat them in less frequent and smaller amounts that are *cooked well*. As they previously mentioned, cooking a food without over cooking it will help to reduce its overall composition (phytoestrogens included). Cooking can reduce up to 1/3 or possibly more of the amount of goitrogens present in raw forms (e.g. broccoli).